Gmail smtp limits and quotas explained

Gmail has several limits and quotas that apply to its SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) service, which is used to send emails from your Gmail account. Here are some of the key limits and quotas to be aware of:

SMTP Limits:

  1. Daily Sending Limit: 2,000 emails per day per user. This limit applies to all emails sent from your Gmail account, including automated emails, newsletters, and promotional emails.
  2. Recipient Limit: 500 recipients per email. If you need to send an email to more than 500 recipients, you'll need to split the list into smaller groups.
  3. Attachment Limit: 25 MB per email. You can attach files up to 25 MB in size to your emails.
  4. Message Size Limit: 25 MB per email. The total size of the email, including the message body, attachments, and headers, cannot exceed 25 MB.
  5. Rate Limit: 100 emails per minute per user. This limit applies to the rate at which you can send emails from your Gmail account.

SMTP Quotas:

  1. Outgoing Mail Quota: 10 GB per user. This quota applies to the total amount of data you can send from your Gmail account in a given period.
  2. Daily Outgoing Mail Quota: 10 GB per day per user. This quota applies to the total amount of data you can send from your Gmail account in a 24-hour period.
  3. Monthly Outgoing Mail Quota: 30 GB per month per user. This quota applies to the total amount of data you can send from your Gmail account in a calendar month.

Additional Considerations:

  1. Spam Filtering: Gmail has strict spam filtering policies in place to prevent spam emails from being sent from your account. If your emails are flagged as spam, they may not be delivered to the recipient's inbox.
  2. IP Address Reputation: Gmail monitors the IP address from which you're sending emails. If your IP address is flagged as a spam source, your emails may not be delivered to the recipient's inbox.
  3. Authentication: Gmail requires authentication to send emails from your account. You'll need to use a valid username and password, or an app password if you're using a third-party email client.
  4. Content Filtering: Gmail has content filtering policies in place to prevent emails with certain types of content from being sent. For example, emails with explicit content or spammy links may not be delivered.

Workarounds and Solutions:

  1. Use a Third-Party Email Service: If you need to send a large volume of emails, you may want to consider using a third-party email service that has more generous limits and quotas.
  2. Split Your List: If you need to send an email to more than 500 recipients, you can split your list into smaller groups and send separate emails to each group.
  3. Use a Smarter Email Service: If you're sending automated emails, you may want to consider using a smarter email service that can help you avoid Gmail's limits and quotas.
  4. Monitor Your Quotas: Keep an eye on your quotas and limits to ensure you're not exceeding them. You can monitor your quotas by checking your Gmail account settings.

By understanding Gmail's SMTP limits and quotas, you can avoid any potential issues and ensure that your emails are delivered successfully to your recipients.